Isaiah 57:14-21
New English Translation
14 He says,[a]
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules[b] forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated,[c]
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged.[d]
16 For I will not be hostile[e] forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me,[f]
the life-giving breath I created.
17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them,[g]
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn.[h]
18 I have seen their behavior,[i]
but I will heal them. I will lead[j] them,
and I will provide comfort[k] to them and those who mourn with them.[l]
19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate.[m]
Complete prosperity[n] is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:14 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנִים (panim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tc The MT has וְאַנְחֵהוּ (veʾankhehu) from נָחָה (nakhah) “I will lead them,” but the consonantal text may also be read as וַאֲנִחֵהוּ (vaʾanikhehu) from נוּחַ (nuakh) “I will give them rest.” The MT is supported by Aquila and the Vulgate, though 1QIsaa omits the verb and the LXX and Targum offer mixed evidence.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn The verb וַאֲשַׁלֵּם (vaʾashallem), the Piel form of the verb שָׁלֵם (shalem), means “to make whole, make restitution, compensate, reward” (HALOT 1534, s.v.). The noun נִחֻמִים (nikhumim) uses the plural form for the abstract concept, “comfort.” The Lord will bestow comfort as restitution to Israel.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “to him and to his mourners.” Since Israel is represented by the singular pronoun “to him” (rendered as plural “them” for style throughout vv. 17-19), those who mourn for, or with, him are likely religious converts or others who sympathize with Israel (see J. D. W. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 25:835).
- Isaiah 57:19 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (ʾani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם [אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵי (boreʾ [ʾani] nuv sefatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
- Isaiah 57:19 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
Isaiah 57:14-21
International Standard Version
14 And one has said:[a]
‘Build up! Build up the road![b]
Prepare the highway!
Remove every obstacle from my people’s way.’
15 “For this is what the high and lofty One says,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“He lives[c] in the height and in holiness,[d]
and also with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I won’t accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for then the human spirit would grow faint before me—
even the souls that I have created.
17 Because of his wicked greed I was angry,
so I punished him;
and[e] I hid my face, and was angry—
but he kept turning back to his stubborn will.[f]
18 I’ve seen his ways,[g] yet I will heal him,[h]
and restore for him[i] comfort[j] to him
and for those who mourn for him[k]
19 when[l] I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace[m] to the one who is far away or near,” says the Lord,
“and I’ll heal him.
20 But the wicked are tossed like the sea;[n]
for it is not able to[o] keep still,
and its waters toss up mire and mud.
21 “Yet[p] there is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:14 So 1QIsaa; MT reads one will say; or I will say; LXX reads they will say
- Isaiah 57:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks the road
- Isaiah 57:15 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad; MT reads I live
- Isaiah 57:15 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read in the high and holy place
- Isaiah 57:17 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad LXX; 1QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 57:17 Lit. into the way of his heart
- Isaiah 57:18 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsad reads way
- Isaiah 57:18 So 1QIsaa; MT reads him, and I will guide him; LXX reads him, and I will exhort him
- Isaiah 57:18 So 1QIsaa; the reading is probably an error: MT LXX lack for him
- Isaiah 57:18 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT use different but related words
- Isaiah 57:18 Lit. for his mourners
- Isaiah 57:19 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT lack when
- Isaiah 57:19 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT read Peace, peace cf. LXX
- Isaiah 57:20 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsad MT read are like the tossing sea
- Isaiah 57:20 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT lack able to
- Isaiah 57:21 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack Yet
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